Just Friends
by AllisonWalker
Summary: After one chance duel takes a bad turn, Kaiba finds himself becoming obsessed over the one person he'd refused to acknowledge years before. At first, Kaiba desires revenge, but the more they spend time together, the more he finds himself spiraling into something close to friendship... or maybe much more. Kaiba/Jonouchi post canon. Co-written w/ okumori.
1. Chapter 1

This is a great story. I am so excited to finally post this work with you guys. I had originally written this with my old writing partner, Septima, but as most of you already know, we fell apart sometime last year in the spring. It was left unfinished, and honestly, it wasn't that good. The concept has always intrigued me though, to write a story where Kaiba falls for Jonouchi first and Jonouchi is the one unsure of the relationship. What would happen then? How could that possibly work?

Based off of manga canon and co-written with okumori (FFN/~okumori).

_**Just Friends**_

* * *

For a moment, there was no sound as the visuals of the holographic simulator disappeared, the imagery cutting out before Kaiba felt himself catch his footing again, putting a hand through his hair. Jonouchi was just as quiet, standing a few feet away, but Kaiba wasn't paying attention to him. He could only keep staring at his Duel Disk as the numbers glowed zero before he blinked, trying to adjust his sight yet achieving nothing for all his effort.

It didn't make any sense. Somehow the idiot across from him had managed to wipe the field with his Time Wizard and used Monster Reborn to wipe the rest of Kaiba's life points with a revived Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Standing in a daze, it didn't occur to him that he'd even lost until Jonouchi's voice finally broke through the silence, unsure laughter catching Kaiba's attention as his eyes flickered up.

"Wow," muttered Jonouchi, who looked exhilarated yet strangely shocked as he glanced from Kaiba to his Duel Disk and back towards Kaiba again, "I didn't expect that to happen."

He seemed unsure of what to do next. Kaiba wasn't so sure, either, if his subdued reaction hadn't made that clear already. His mind was cluttered with thoughts, trying to replay the Duel from beginning to end, yet nothing made any sense. Head aching, he wanted to take a seat somewhere, but until he had the whole mess figured out, he wouldn't be able to.

Even one of his eyes were twitching. Kaiba hadn't been sleeping well, and his whole body ached from only getting some three hours a night, but that wasn't an excuse to lose a Duel. Especially against someone like Jonouchi Katsuya, who derived his dueling victories from a deck stacked with luck and gamble cards.

It didn't make any sense. Jonouchi's deck wasn't strong enough, and Kaiba knew this for a fact; he'd done the analysis on it before during Battle City. There was no possible way for Jonouchi to have won, unless...

Unless.

No, Kaiba didn't want to even suggest to himself that he wasn't quite right. Sure, he was more tired than usual, and his mind was dashing all over from the lack of rest, but that didn't mean anything. He'd worked through exhaustion before, and losing two weeks' worth of good sleep shouldn't have wrecked him so far as to lose a Duel to someone below his own expertise.

Before he could think too much about it, though, Jonouchi's sharp voice echoed again, and Kaiba's eyes flashed up to glare at him.

"That took a long time," Jonouchi said before smirking and crossing his arms in a smug manner that made Kaiba's insides burn, "But I finally beat you. Can't call me a deadbeat loser anymore, huh? Well, that was a good match, but I got other shit to do and records to set, so I'll see you around, Kaiba."

Opening his mouth to speak, Kaiba thought about saying something smart, but he couldn't. He'd just lost. Kaiba still couldn't wrap his mind around that fact, let alone actually soak in Jonouchi's words to say a quick and sharp reply to them.

"I know it'll take you a while to get over that, but I'm sure you'll adapt. You always do, right? Later, loser!"

Then Jonouchi spun around and whooped before running off towards Domino Central. Kaiba could feel his muscles tensing up as his pride ached, but there was nothing he could do about it. Calling Jonouchi out for another Duel would do nothing, especially if he lost again, and Kaiba knew he wasn't fit to battle while his head kept hurting.

Something wet was dripping from his nose. At first Kaiba was going to ignore it, but brushing the back of his hand against it, he looked down only to find blood.

"Dammit. Of all fucking times to get a damn nosebleed..."

The weather was fucking with him. By the time he looked back up, Jonouchi was gone, and Kaiba was alone again in the back alley behind the Kame Shop, the shame of his defeat settling in. He'd have to find out a way to get back at Jonouchi. There was no way in hell he'd let that moron think he was actually a better Duelist or could call Kaiba a loser...

No, that wouldn't do. Jonouchi wasn't some gaming genius like Yugi, and he could be beat if Kaiba devoted himself to it. He'd just need to study him first.

Maybe he had underestimated Jonouchi. Kaiba could admit that much to himself. But next time he faced against him, that would not be the case. Jonouchi would not get away unscathed.

Kaiba collected himself after that last thought, calling for a car to pick him up and take him back to the mansion. Trying to see Yugi had been a bust. That was the only reason he'd even gone over to that side of town, and that was how Jonouchi had managed to run into him. If Kaiba hadn't been so damn curious about Yugi's whereabouts, the whole situation wouldn't have happened.

Yugi had gone away to Egypt again. Something about "trying to find himself with Ishizu in Cairo." His fool of a grandfather said he'd be back eventually, since he planned on continuing his dueling career. Apparently Yugi just needed time for himself.

Honestly, Kaiba didn't care too much about it. The man he'd considered at one time to be his greatest rival had passed on some time ago, and no one had even bothered to tell him about it until afterwards. If Yugi wanted to continue dwelling on the past, then that was his business. Kaiba was no longer personally invested in the boy, anyways.

Eventually a black Bentley arrived and picked Kaiba up, discreetly showing up at the back of the Kame Shop before driving towards the suburbs where the Kaiba Mansion stood. Usually Kaiba was in a rush to get home fast, but since Mokuba had left (without permission) for California, things had slowed down at home to an almost infuriatingly slow crawl.

Kaiba couldn't even remember what the argument was about. Mokuba was always fighting with him about something, and rubbing his temples, Kaiba sighed before slumping against the back seat of the car. He was relieved to have the rest of the day off, but he knew it wouldn't do him much good. His mind felt overloaded, and Kaiba knew any attempts at sleep would just end up with him staring at the ceiling for hours, since his brain wouldn't shut off from conceiving every single horrible situation possible with Mokuba being away from where Kaiba could watch him. It wasn't like the kid would be homeless in California, but there were always accidents. And kidnappings. And random crime. Kaiba shivered involuntarily, silently cursing himself. And his damn brother, for being so stubborn, but mostly himself. Smart as Kaiba was, he could be such an obstinate idiot sometimes.

But not as idiotic as Jonouchi Katsuya, but Kaiba definitely didn't want to go down that train of thought right now...

It wasn't possible to just go overseas and collect Mokuba, either. Kaiba Corporation needed Kaiba, and taking an impromptu trip to Los Angeles would only make Mokuba behave worse. He liked it when Kaiba reacted to his bad behavior, and Kaiba tried so hard to just ignore it and shame him afterwards. Mokuba could usually be reasoned with when he felt like he'd made his point, and he'd have to come back eventually, too, because of school.

It was just so boring without him.

The car was silent as it sped through Domino, leaving the more grungy side for the pristine clean that was the old money district. Kaiba Mansion had been in the family for a long time, and despite how beautiful it was, nothing about it really appealed to Kaiba Seto himself. Even as a kid, he thought the house was overbearing and ridiculously styled, but he had no desire to do anything about it.

Getting out of the car, Kaiba went outside and crossed the front steps of the house before the footman opened the main entrance, allowing him into the grand foyer where the staircase stood. He was brisk getting up the stairs, despite carrying a Duel Disk and briefcase. The only thing that let his fatigue show was how light his head felt once he reached the top; Kaiba paused for a moment as his brain flipped in his skull before he headed towards the master bedroom.

Mokuba's room stood near his, and Kaiba paused, reaching there. It was empty, of course, but that didn't stop habit. Glancing over the space, Kaiba frowned as he surveyed the empty blue bed, the comforter neatly folded on top of the mattress, and pillows fluffed on top. If Mokuba had been there, the place would have been a mess, and Kaiba knew he would have barked at him for it being so torn apart.

"_Make your bed, you heathen_," he would have said while passing along, "_And stop wearing your shoes inside_."

Mokuba didn't care about his culture's customs too much, and passing over the room feeling rather empty, Kaiba got to his own bedroom where he dumped his briefcase. Even though it was a futile effort, he'd try to sleep, anyways.

He used the bathroom quickly before undressing and pulling the curtains closed. It had been a lovely midsummer day, but Kaiba wanted nothing to do with the waning sunshine. Darkness was what he preferred, and getting under the sheets of his bed, he rolled onto his stomach before grumbling and sighing.

It could have been worse, maybe. Jonouchi could have continued on insulting him (and rightly so, given Kaiba's past behavior) or could have seen Kaiba during his embarrassing nosebleed after. Even though they were a frequent occurrence thanks to weather and the temperature changes from going indoors where it was cool, the accidents didn't stop Kaiba from feeling uncomfortably human.

"_People would have thought you were some robot if you didn't bleed so much_," Mokuba used to tease, "_It's hilarious._"

Kaiba didn't think they were so funny. Nosebleeds always happened at the worst times: halfway through meetings, on top of paperwork, during business meals, or when Kaiba was trying to drive himself home. He hardly understood them, and it was even more humiliating getting one right after Jonouchi had left him in the alleyway.

It wasn't like Kaiba could stop nature from acting up against his will, but still.

Grumbling to himself, he covered his head with a pillow, closing his eyes and trying not to think about how humiliated he felt after Jonouchi laughed before leaving the alley in a dash. Jonouchi was smart for not sticking around; now all Kaiba could think about doing was getting back at him, somehow. Drawing him into a Duel and beating him down until Jonouchi never thought of challenging him again.

On the same token, Kaiba couldn't keep his mind straight. His temples throbbed, and everything felt sore and uncomfortable. His eyes even stung when he _wasn't_ staring at a computer screen, and Kaiba knew it was from the lack of sleep. Dealing with some eye twitching was one thing, but the now-constant migraine headaches were another.

Mokuba needed to come back home already.

Looking back to days before, Kaiba tried to remember just what had set him off but couldn't quite remember. Mokuba was always being a giant brat, and Kaiba knew he didn't deal with his new attitude too well since he'd become a loud-mouthed teenager. To a certain degree, he knew it was going to happen, and Mokuba was going through the typical growing pains, but it was wearing him out.

Changing position again, Kaiba turned onto his back and sighed before combing through his hair anxiously. Mokuba was just so stubborn. Once he set his mind to something, there was no way to stop him. Kaiba smiled a little at the similarity, but dealing with it head-on was not fun. Maybe one day it would help Mokuba in the business world, having that kind of ferocity dealing with pushy insubordinates, but right now it was wearing Kaiba out.

There was no way on earth Kaiba was going to fall asleep. But closing his eyes, he tried all the same.

"You lost a Duel?"

Sitting across a long table surrounded by his Board of Directors, Kaiba just shrugged at the question before looking across the room. He knew he was being escapist, but dealing with the inquisition over his dueling record of all things wore his patience thin, and just ignoring their stern gazes made things better than actually letting them think he gave any of their words a second of thought.

"Kaiba-sama lost an unranked match against Jonouchi Katsuya, a semi-professional Duelist who placed third in the Battle City finals," informed one of the men, "He's very good."

"So good he ruined Kaiba-sama's record," another man snorted. "I thought only one player could do that. What if people lose faith in the company because of this? We could be potentially ruined if we don't do something to cover this scandal up!"

'Scandal'? Kaiba would hardly call his loss a scandal. More like a mishap—something he hadn't foreseen happening—but it could be fixed. He didn't know why the Board liked becoming frazzled over such silly things as card game Duels when the company was already quite secure now without Kaiba's constant campaigning, but a few of the old fools were probably still paranoid of failure.

"Hardly anyone knows about this Duel," Kaiba finally interrupted, flashing his eyes across the room before sitting one of his legs up against the other, trying to become more comfortable in his seat. No doubt he'd be stuck there for a while. "It wasn't a ranked match, and no one cares about who Jonouchi Katsuya duels. He's just another no-name professional wannabe."

"You said that before, Kaiba-sama, but he was third place in your last tournament and second for Duelist Kingdom, not to mention top eight in the city finals-"

"-Only because I couldn't compete, myself," Kaiba snapped, "He's gotten lucky a few times, sure, but that's no reason to overdramatize the situation. I can take care of this alone."

"Can you?" asked one of the Board members rather sarcastically, "This is the fifth time you've lost a game, Kaiba-sama. Maybe you're finally losing your touch."

"I'm not losing my touch, but thank you for your concern," answered Kaiba. The man bristled slightly before shifting uneasily in his seat, Kaiba's full gaze on him now that he had spoken up. "I haven't been feeling well, lately. As soon as I feel normal again, I'll get Jonouchi Katsuya in a rematch, and you all can go find something else to fuss over. Now please, stop wasting my time with this pointless meeting, when I have better things to be getting done right now..."

"Like trying to get your brother back?" continued the man from before, "He's been gone for weeks now, Kaiba-sama."

"Mokuba will come back when he's ready."

"He's the Vice President—he can't just disappear whenever he wants to. You placed a child in a position of authority that better men could have filled-"

"-I placed my brother where he could help me keep myself from being surrounded by social-climbing yes-men," replied Kaiba harshly. The man promptly shut his mouth, his lips tight as he frowned. Everyone else just looked uncomfortable. "Like I said before," continued Kaiba, "When Mokuba's ready to return, he'll come back. Until then, we'll all make do without him.

"Now unless there's something dire I need to know about from any of you, I'd like to adjourn this meeting so I can get some real work done."

Everyone looked around uneasily, moving their papers around while one man coughed. The only woman in the room collected all her things and placed them away into her leather briefcase before everyone else followed suit, apparently taking her cue to prepare to leave.

"Good. I'll be in my office if someone changes their mind."

Kaiba was quick to get up before anyone could address him, marching across the room and disappearing down the hallway until he reached his own private office. Thankfully, it was protected by his overbearing personal assistant, whose desk stood outside of his door, successfully keeping out anyone who hoped to waste some of Kaiba's time with pointless talk. Isono took his job very seriously, and Kaiba was grateful for that.

Sitting down at his desk, Kaiba dropped his elbows and tugged at his hair, grumbling aloud before releasing a long, frustrated sigh. Despite trying to sleep earlier than usual, he still only managed a few hours of rest, and his eyes still burned while looking into the lights of his computer screen. His meeting with the Board didn't help, but at least they weren't Gozaburo's old men. He'd thrown them out a long time ago after they'd tried selling the company to Pegasus, but still. Kaiba wasn't quite over that betrayal, even if he had completely new people to bother him every other day...

They still doubted Kaiba more than he would have liked. As if he hadn't already shown several times before that he knew what he was doing and didn't need people second-guessing him...

But if they didn't second-guess him at least every once in a while, they'd just be the yes-men he had referred to moments before.

The more Kaiba thought about about it, the more he wanted to pull all of his hair out.

Mokuba wasn't going to come back anytime sooner. Kaiba was sure of that much. The company wasn't suffering due to his absence, since he was still very young and didn't have an overwhelming amount of work on his shoulders, but Kaiba certainly could feel the difference. He felt utterly alone, almost abandoned. There was no one in the office he could truly trust, and that put his nerves on edge as he opened up his laptop and started looking through the Dueling Network Database.

Jonouchi Katsuya had six out of eight stars in his rank with a new (and long) list of dueling championships, Kaiba discovered as he scrolled through the profile. They were mostly local and regional events, but still. He was dueling hard, and Kaiba felt his mouth twitch a little when he realized that taking Jonouchi back down a few pegs wouldn't be easy.

Still, after some sleep, Kaiba was sure that he'd be able to handle a rematch. Jonouchi was prone to stupid mistakes and based his deck on gambling and luck cards, which typically were no match for Kaiba's beatdown deck. It might be a little difficult, but Kaiba was confident he'd be able to set the record straight.

As Kaiba first presumed, Jonouchi only had one minor sponsor. If Jonouchi had more financial backing, no doubt he could go farther in his career, since registration fees were very expensive, and one usually only broke even if one could place within the top three during the competition.

Jonouchi wasn't a bad Duelist. As much as it pained Kaiba to admit, he actually had a lot of potential that wasn't being cultivated correctly. Turning him into a potential rival wasn't exactly a comfortable idea for Kaiba to play around with, but being able to maintain close enough proximity to study his methods could turn advantageous.

No doubt, Jonouchi would take the offer of sponsorship if Kaiba offered it to him in person. He'd probably be proud and stubborn if someone else talked in place of Kaiba.

But still, there was more to look into first. He searched into Jonouchi's current whereabouts, finding a small mechanic shop near where Yugi used to live. According to records, Jonouchi was working part-time as an assistant mechanic, fixing domestic and import motorcycles. Kaiba snorted, feeling his upper-class snobbery getting the best of him, but he kept reading before he got carried away with it.

Apparently Jonouchi was still living in the shitty side of town, too, with his father. Now that was interesting. Moving slightly closer to the computer screen, Kaiba glanced down as he looked over Jonouchi senior, who was a construction worker with a really bad alcohol addiction and had been jailed for not being able to pay off his gambling habit. Jonouchi had bailed him out recently—which Kaiba found shocking to say the least—with tournament money.

No wonder he was broke. Frowning, Kaiba continued reading before finally closing out of the search engine. It would be easily to convince Jonouchi into agreeing to a sponsorship deal. He had barely any money and was losing what he did have to his good-for-nothing father. As much as Kaiba didn't like him, he couldn't say Jonouchi deserved such a shitty situation, and there were hardly any other Duelists more deserving of the opportunity, even if Kaiba thought his deck was shit.

Maybe he was being biased—Kaiba didn't know. All he did know was his headache was becoming too much to bear, and groaning once again, Kaiba shut down his laptop before dropping his head into his arms and trying to fall asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Driving a rental car into the bad side of town, Kaiba chided himself for letting his curiosity get away with him. As much as he was tired, Kaiba also wanted to get a look at where Jonouchi was living, and he wasn't going to chance being seen at night driving around in his favorite sports car trying to find Jonouchi's apartment building.

Using some old beater was much better. Sure, it was a crappy ride compared to the quarter-of-a-million-dollar vehicles Kaiba preferred driving, but he didn't want to risk being carjacked by street thugs. Jonouchi wasn't worth that much trouble, and parking by the curb, Kaiba looked around at the different building addresses before spotting Jonouchi's.

The place looked rundown, with weeds growing around the cement walls, but at least it appeared sturdy. Some of the other buildings looked dangerous, with rusted patios and garbage piling around the alleyways. There were street cats all over, and Kaiba swore he could hear someone singing by a window some horrible rendition of the latest popular J-pop song.

It was at least very dark in Jonouchi's corner of Domino City. Kaiba's eyes didn't hurt so much, and as he scanned his surroundings, he became acutely aware of just how shitty Jonouchi's situation was.

Buses probably didn't dare come that close with all the infamous gang activity that the district was known for. Jonouchi didn't own a car, either, so that meant he probably had to walk through the worst part of town just to get to his job in central. If he wasn't such a rude idiot, Kaiba would have felt a little bad for him.

Oh well.

Putting the car off brake, Kaiba pressed the gas pedal before braking rather quickly as a man jumped in front of his car, yelling and swearing at him before walking away. It startled Kaiba, who only caught a glimpse of light-colored hair and a red varsity jacket before he hunched his shoulders and decided to get the hell out before someone recognized him sitting in the driver's seat. If Jonouchi came out of nowhere like the man in red had, he would be screwed. As if Jonouchi wouldn't approach him for hanging around his apartment suspiciously at night.

When Kaiba thought about it, he didn't even know why he was there. It was a stupid waste of time, spying on someone whom he never before even wasted a second on unless there was some amusement to be had out of bothering him. Jonouchi was a nobody, but now he was a nobody who had beaten Kaiba at his favorite game, and like hell if Kaiba would let that offense slide anytime soon.

Kaiba would figure him out. But hanging around his yakuza-ridden neighborhood probably wasn't the best way to do it. Although the internet research was limited, Kaiba knew he had a lot of the information he wanted to know already. Jonouchi wasn't very secretive about his business, and his mother worked out of Tokyo for a medical office, while his sister was in a private school. It was easy enough to figure out.

Jonouchi's alcoholic-in-remission father was a bit more tough to figure out, but even he had records. Mostly reports from the police over disturbing the peace and being an obnoxious drunk, but there was some interesting stuff like petty crime in it, too. Kaiba even found some satisfaction out of finding Jonouchi's own criminal record from back in middle school, but he didn't think it would help him any to bring it up. Jonouchi didn't get as riled up over dumb shit like he had years before.

Sighing, Kaiba put his car into drive, backed out of the street, and drove off towards the suburbs again. The ride home was at least quick. Domino wasn't as heavy with traffic like Tokyo was at night, and Kaiba sped quickly towards Kaiba Mansion, his mind rapidly processing the night's newly-acquired information.

Jonouchi, to put it simply, lived in a shit-hole. And at twenty-one years old, he still lived with his father. Jonouchi should have had enough money from tournament winnings to ditch the gang-infested neighborhood and live on his own, which meant it was his father keeping him there. Which meant that Jonouchi was likely the breadwinner, and either things with his father had gotten better, or Jonouchi felt some misguided responsibility towards the old man.

It figured. Jonouchi always did have a bleeding heart, and that trait had always kept him as second-best. The idiot just didn't know how to put himself first.

Kaiba scowled as he brought the rental around to the garage, tossing the keys to an attendant. Throwing his overcoat onto the back of an armchair, he stomped upstairs, tugging his tie loose and flopping onto his bed.

He wondered how much better of a Duelist Jonouchi would be had he not had all those distractions. In all honesty, Kaiba hadn't really kept track of Jonouchi's dueling stats; he had just assumed Jonouchi was at the same level he'd last seen during Battle City. But that had been years ago, and it was apparent that Jonouchi had worked hard despite his circumstances to improve.

Kaiba would have to see Jonouchi in action again. Going to a local tournament would be easy, but not being recognized would probably prove somewhat difficult. He didn't want anyone approaching him while he was trying to figure Jonouchi out, and getting any interruptions might come back to him and blow Kaiba's operation. As talented as Kaiba was at sneaking around watching people undercover, Jonouchi probably had enough experience with thugs to know when he was being followed.

He suddenly felt exhausted. His little escapade into the slums had put his body into high alert, and now all Kaiba wanted to do was pass out. Realizing he still had his shoes on (how many times had he gotten after Mokuba for this?), he mentally chided himself but decided he just didn't care enough at the same time. He toed them off lazily, not getting up from bed. He was still fully dressed, too, but he couldn't find himself caring too much about that, either. Kaiba slowly turned over and crawled up the bed, pulling the blankets over his head but not yet closing his eyes.

Kaiba felt a weight in the back of his pants, and reaching behind, pulled out his cell phone. No messages. He sighed and stared at the screen for a while, flipping through his short list of contacts until it rested on his brother's entry.

He could try calling. It would still be the morning in America. Maybe he could reason with Mokuba, since the kid had had enough time to cool down since their spat. Tell him to come home already.

Mokuba's phone number glowed brightly in the dark, burning into Kaiba's tired eyes. He sighed heavily before switching off the phone, tossing it onto the nightstand, and trying to sleep alone against the darkness of the room.

* * *

It was early morning when Kaiba woke up, his usual routine now embedded into his internal clock in such a way he always awoke five minutes before his alarm sounded. Shutting it off, he rolled onto his back and groaned for a moment before opening his eyes, the bedroom still dim from closed curtains.

Before, it didn't used to be his bedroom. The master used to belong to Gozaburo, and that thought alone made Kaiba smile when no other happy thought came to mind. His Board of Directors would probably continue nagging at him over losing the Duel, and who knew where Jonouchi was or who he'd spoken to about his win.

Kaiba could feel a headache coming on. Pressing the palm of his hand to his forehead and closing his eyes, he knew he'd probably only slept four hours at best. His eyesight hurt, and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he slowly made his way into the bathroom to take a painkiller before he collapsed onto his bed again.

If only Mokuba would stop being so stubborn and just come back home. Kaiba tried recalling the incident, but his brain felt so jumbled. He couldn't have been that bad to him. Mokuba was probably being overly sensitive or just acting out some kind of teenage angst—Kaiba wasn't sure which it was, or maybe both. Whatever Mokuba was dealing with, he just wished Mokuba would stop and come back before he dropped from exhaustion and worry.

That wouldn't happen, though. Mokuba would return before then, and lifting out of bed, Kaiba forced himself to go through his morning routine despite how horrible he felt. It would take him at least an hour to get through showering, washing his hair, blow drying it, and styling it the way he wanted before getting dressed and arriving downstairs for his breakfast.

Mokuba laughed at him for his more effeminate habits, like Kaiba's vanity-driven hair rituals. At least he did his own hair, unlike his teenaged brother, and at the chance of being photographed or videotaped, Kaiba refused to look unkempt and unpresentable.

It was just such a pain to deal with when his eyes were red and his face looked pale from being unwell. Kaiba narrowed his eyes when he looked at himself in the mirror, then dropped his head into his hands.

Kaiba refused to wear makeup unless he was going on camera. Although that morning, from looking at himself in the mirror, he certainly thought he needed some. The skin under his eyes was dark and haggard, and it didn't help at all that Kaiba needed to shave, too. He frequently got facial hair by the next morning, ever since he turned seventeen, and groaning from frustration, he stripped out of his clothes before stepping into a steaming hot shower.

It would dry out his skin some, but Kaiba didn't care. He focused solely on washing his hair, using overpriced shampoo and conditioner before rinsing and stepping out to shave his face. Unlike the other guys he knew, Kaiba was methodical with a razor. Not since the first time he had ever used one had Kaiba nicked himself with it, and giving himself the closest shave possible thanks to his active OCD, he washed his face before getting into his boxers and working on his hair.

When Mokuba was younger, he used to watch Kaiba work through his routine. He used to make silly comments about it as Kaiba rolled his eyes, but now the silence was just deafening. Turning to look at his empty bed, Kaiba didn't finally check his cell phone until he was done blow drying his hair, finding his inbox empty.

It was happening too frequently for comfort. Mokuba hadn't bothered to communicate now for well over a week.

Staring at the blinking screen, Kaiba thought about just giving up and apologizing. Giving Mokuba whatever silly satisfaction he was looking for, if only to return the peace. His sleep was worsening, and Kaiba could feel his eyes burning from the glow of the cell phone lights before he blinked and felt his face cringe from discomfort.

"I shouldn't have to be doing this. He knows better."

Mokuba was just so stubborn.

Placing the phone down, Kaiba left it on his mattress as he got dressed. He wouldn't allow his younger brother to get the best of him (or at least know he was winning), and after getting his briefcase, Kaiba stepped out before slamming the door behind him.

Unfortunately for the staff at Kaiba Corporation, Kaiba's mood hadn't improved throughout the day. He canceled the majority of his meetings, just hiding out in his office while fumbling through emails and going through the many reports his division directors had sent him. They were dense enough that it took most of Kaiba's time to get through them, emailing back his response to budget proposals and disapprovals over certain projects that hadn't gone according to plan. He also tried to remember to encourage his staff, since Mokuba said he didn't do it enough like he should, but Kaiba could hardly think of anything positive to say when his head felt like it was splitting into two.

It would have felt so good to just sleep on his desk. Forget the rest of the day and try taking a power nap through lunch, but that would be a poor idea. Kaiba didn't want to risk his executive assistant walking in on him, in case he stared snoring.

Twirling his chair around, Kaiba looked out onto the Domino City skyline. The city was bustling with activity, and he thought he saw crowds of people congesting through Main Street, but he wasn't quite sure.

Summer always brought dueling tournaments to Domino City. Some of them were sponsored by Kaiba Corporation, but others had outside influences and small cash prizes that brought the professional Duelists out to compete. Although Kaiba himself didn't plan on playing, the idea of watching was at least more appealing of an idea than continuing his way into getting a migraine.

Buzzing his assistant, Kaiba paused before making up his mind.

"I'm taking the afternoon off," he declared, rubbing his temples before letting out a deep sigh, "If you need me, call my cell phone. And cancel my appointments for tomorrow; I don't plan on coming in."

"Yes, sir. Anything else I can do for you, Kaiba-sama?"

Kaiba took a second to think over that, closing his eyes as he brushed his bangs back with his fingers, "Get me an appointment in with my doctor tomorrow morning and don't let anyone into my office while I'm gone. That's all."

"As you wish, sir."

It was going to be ridiculously hot outside. Kaiba strolled out of his office in all black, carrying his briefcase in his right hand before shutting the door behind him. His assistant just glanced at his direction before falling back to work, not losing a beat on typing away as Kaiba waltzed out, on a mission.

The air was heavy and the sun was beating down on the city as people tried to find cover from the heat. Even Kaiba, who generally didn't let the weather get to him, found it rather unbearable, choosing to ignore the outdoor Duels for the relative comforts of the KaibaLand Dueling Arena he had created a few years ago. It had been leased out for competition again, and Kaiba found himself the center of attention as he crossed through the crowds to get into his own theme park, cutting the line as he used his CEO status to get instant access.

There were at least several hundred people inside the park, if not near a thousand. Kaiba couldn't keep count. He could tell from the crowds of children that most of the visitors weren't competing, but inside the arena, he was pleasantly surprised by what he saw.

Two hundred contestants from all over Domino City fighting for the local-level Domino City Championship. Stealing a copy of the roster before finding a seat far back in the bleachers where no one would spot him, Kaiba glanced through the names, his eyes merely scanning as he snorted.

Insector Haga, that was hardly surprising. Kaiba wasn't even sure if he should consider him any good now that he'd been beaten so many times, but at least the kid still had the spunk to keep trying. Shitty attitude or not.

There was also Dinosaur Ryuzaki, Kajiki Ryota, Esper Roba, and "Ghost" Kotsuzuka, with Mai Kujaku acting as host. Kaiba couldn't even recall the last time Mai had won any sort of major tournament since before Duelist Kingdom, but maybe the sponsors just wanted someone attractive on stage to appease the girl-starved fan nerds.

Whatever.

Kaiba just hadn't counted on seeing Jonouchi Katsuya's name on the roster, too, for some reason. His eyes widened before narrowing back into their usual scowl, his jaw tightening as Kaiba crumpled the paper and tossed it.

Looking at the scoreboards, it appeared like Jonouchi was currently one Duel away from winning the damn tournament, too.

Damn the fool and his gamble cards. Jonouchi was the last person on earth Kaiba had been hoping to see, but at least it gave him a chance to study his deck. Unlike some of the amateurs, Jonouchi seemed to finally find balance between his monster, magic, and trap cards, having memorized them all and using their power to their best potential despite being rather cheap, in Kaiba's opinion. He didn't like Jonouchi's strategy, but he could no longer say it wasn't effective.

Hell, he couldn't even talk down on Jonouchi anymore and call him a shit Duelist. Not only because of what happened in Battle City, but having lost a Duel himself to the dweeb, Kaiba felt silly whenever the desire to insult Jonouchi came over him. Yes, the guy was still an idiot (mostly), but he was now the third-best Duelist in the world―and had beaten Kaiba once.

Thankfully in an unranked match, but it was still a Duel.

Jonouchi had appeared on stage―for all intents and purposes―confident. He waved at the crowd and had his signature stupid grin on his face before turning more serious. The competitor he was facing was an up-and-coming female Duelist from eastern Domino, and they traded their decks to cut their cards before returning them for the actual match.

They both played well. The girl (she couldn't have been older than seventeen) had lots of solid dragon cards and great power boosters, but once Jonouchi played his Dragon Capture Jar and Jinzo, she got stuck. It was a steady decline after that, as Jonouchi blew away her life points and weakened her monsters with his own trap and magic cards, and he'd won with twenty-one hundred life points out of four thousand still intact.

Kaiba huffed. Mai came on stage to present the trophy, and they both looked pleased, standing up there waving like idiots: Jonouchi raising the gold cup in the air just as Mai reached over and kissed him on the cheek.

Blech.

Turning away, Kaiba sat up and dusted his pants before grabbing his case to disappear before anyone noticed him. The last thing he wanted to see was the nerds lip-locking on his stage as his headache started up again.

Mai might have been considered beautiful by societal standards, but Kaiba found her gaudy and fake. Nothing about her interested him, and Kaiba prefered staying away from gold-digger types, anyways.

He was crossing the hallway and had one foot out the door, thinking about calling a limo ride home when Kaiba heard his name being called. It was a male voice, familiar yet far away enough that Kaiba couldn't quite make it out clearly.

However, there weren't many people who had the gall to approach him in public (let alone yell his name without honorifics), which meant it could only be one person...

The very person Kaiba had hoped _not_ to have been seen by.

Jonouchi Katsuya.


	3. Chapter 3

"What do you want?"

Kaiba could feel the corners of his mouth twitching as Jonouchi caught up with him, standing only a few feet away as a few heads turned. He tried not to get distracted by the stares, looking down at Jonouchi's smirking grin before putting his briefcase down and crossing his arms against his chest. Knowing Jonouchi, it would probably be a while before their little confrontation would be over.

"I just didn't expect to see you here," Jonouchi said, putting his hands on his hips and smiling wide. "So has the shock from our last little encounter worn off yet, or should I still be watching out for men in black and sleeping with one eye open?"

"You tell me," Kaiba spat back, "Do I have a reason to be calling my security over right now or will you buzz off on your own?"

He didn't give Jonouchi a chance to answer. Picking up the handle of his briefcase, Kaiba turned heel and walked right out the door, leaving Jonouchi behind. It was highly likely that the moron would just follow him, if only to be annoying, but at least now Kaiba could avoid making a scene.

No one else needed to know about how Jonouchi had humiliated him by winning in a back alley Duel. The fewer people around to hear them argue, the better.

It was just a shame that Jonouchi was so quick on his feet; Kaiba hadn't even made it down the steps to the main entry of the park before a head of blond hair caught his peripheral vision.

"Stop following me."

"I wouldn't have had to if you hadn't stormed off in a hissy fit. Hasn't anyone ever taught you that it's rude to leave in the middle of a conversation?" Jonouchi quipped, easily matching Kaiba's stride. He laced his hands behind his head and turned to stare at Kaiba.

"You barking at me isn't a conversation," snipped Kaiba back, "It's you disturbing the peace. Don't you have something better to be doing with your time right now?"

Jonouchi had just won a respectable tournament title. Surely he'd be looking to go celebrate with friends, since he seemed to like get-togethers. Usually Kaiba enjoyed his time alone after victories, but he didn't think Jonouchi was the sort of person who could appreciate the peace that came from self-company.

"Go run along now and play with your friends..."

Humming to himself, Jonouchi stared up at the sky before answering. "Nice try, but you're not gonna get rid of me _that_ easily," he laughed. He peered down at Kaiba's briefcase, drawing his vision up to note Kaiba's clothes. "And what about you? Ditching work? It's so rare for you to be outdoors before nightfall. You might just even get a tan if you're not too careful," he joked.

"How I choose to spend my time is none of your concern," said Kaiba as he quickened his pace. He shot Jonouchi a brief look, his eyes straining from the combination of sunlight and his growing headache before fixing his gaze back towards the end of the park.

He could hardly believe it. Jonouchi Katsuya, chasing him out of his own theme park. How things had changed...

But Jonouchi wouldn't relent, catching up to Kaiba and shoulder-checking him for good measure. "Hey, no reason to get all testy. I'm just trying to have a normal conversation with you."

"You have no reason to. We're not friends. Not even good acquaintances."

In fact, Kaiba could vaguely remember a time when he had tried to kill Jonouchi, back when he wasn't quite himself. Things were much different now, but still. He couldn't understand why on earth Jonouchi would be hoping to chit-chat like buddies, considering their crappy history together.

Jonouchi rolled his eyes. "God, are you still feeding yourself that bullshit? I would've figured you'd have grown tired of the taste by now," he snickered. "I can't believe you'd just say that, after all we've been through together."

"I wasn't around your company by choice, Jonouchi," Kaiba tried to counter, his face tensing up as he recalled the incident with Pegasus that led to their meeting in Duelist Kingdom, among other events, "But now that I do, I'd rather be spared the friendship speeches you might have prepared... Listening to Yugi harp on about having heart is one thing, but I'll be damned if I give you another second of my time."

"Methinks his highness doth protest too much," Jonouchi lilted, clutching at his chest in mock-offense before laughing out loud. "You're seriously one tough nut to crack, Kaiba Seto. You can't tell me you just 'put up' with us all that time."

"You think I stayed around because your company was just so thrilling?" Kaiba shot back, snorting before stopping altogether and spinning on his heel so he was facing Jonouchi directly, "Recall all the times I was dealt with you people. Can you do that?"

Jonouchi stopped as well, puffing out his chest slightly. "I don't need to. You sure hung around enough. I know you had a hard-on for Atem and all, but you must have realized we all came as a package deal. Or did that slip your genius brain?"

Kaiba could feel something in his brain tick as the words hit him, his eyes expanding and contracting before he just turned away again and left. He wasn't going to even entertain Jonouchi's theory, it hit far too close to home for comfort. Whatever Jonouchi thought he knew was grossly incorrect, and Atem had been _destined_ to be his rival. That had nothing to do with the nerd herd and how they had latched themselves to him; Kaiba's relationship was separate. It had nothing to do with any of the rest of them, outside maybe Yugi.

"You don't know what you're talking about..." grumbled Kaiba under his breath. He wasn't even sure if he was just saying that out loud to comfort himself or to shut Jonouchi up, who was once again trotting behind to stay alongside Kaiba's quick pace.

"Hey, take it easy. I was only kidding—you don't have to get so twisted about it," Jonouchi placated. "All I'm saying is, you can't deny we have a history, and that history may even include acquaintance. Or heaven forbid, friendship."

"Friendship," Kaiba parroted before turning his face to look at Jonouchi, his mouth twisted into a forced grin although his eyes did not smile, "What exactly does that entail?"

"How about you talking to me like a normal person," Jonouchi said easily, "For starters."

Kaiba's face fell.

"I'm not a normal person," he answered back, looking away, "so you shouldn't expect me to talk like one, too."

Jonouchi nudged at Kaiba's shoe with his foot. "Have you ever tried to be? It's not like I can say I'm exactly normal," he continued, scratching at the back of his head, "but it's not like it's especially hard. C'mon, I know you have it in you."

"I don't even know what 'normal' is anymore. I've never seen it in my life.

"Now if you don't mind, I do have people today I need to speak to that aren't _you_."

That was actually a bald-faced lie, but Kaiba had such a poker face, he doubted Jonouchi would figure that out. After canceling all his appointments for the day and the following to rest, the only person Kaiba really needed to talk to was Mokuba, who refused to speak to him. There wasn't much that could be done about that until the kid decided to get his head out of his ass, so Kaiba just settled for taking some time off...maybe hide in his private home office and work on some projects to pass the time and get through his more frequent headaches.

"Your life is an appointment book. Reschedule them," Jonouchi smirked.

"No."

Jonouchi whistled low underneath his breath. "Fine, fine. Well if the big Kaiba doesn't want to play, then maybe the little one will," he remarked, taking his cell phone out from his back pocket and flipping it open.

"Are you trying to threaten me?"

"How is calling Mokuba a threat?" Jonouchi asked exasperatedly as he scrolled through his contacts. "Unlike you, your brother at least appreciates '_friendship_.'"

"He's also in California currently, so good luck reaching him at this hour."

Jonouchi paused, his hand halfway to his ear. "Oh? Why's that?"

"Business."

Snorting, Jonouchi pocketed his phone, "It figures he takes after you." He released a big sigh before turning his sights back onto Kaiba. "So I guess you're stuck entertaining me," he said, plastering an obnoxious grin on his face.

Kaiba just stared at Jonouchi for a second before his face twitched. How Jonouchi came to that conclusion, he didn't know. It wasn't logical.

"I'm not required to spend time with you. You're not my brother."

Jonouchi cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, you consider spending time with a sibling a _requirement_? Makes me feel sorry for the kid," he sniffed.

"Whatever. Stop picking at my words and fuck off already..."

Making a quick hand motion towards Jonouchi's general direction, Kaiba just waved his presence away before changing direction and walking towards a lesser-known KaibaLand exit. He couldn't take anymore of the sun beating down on them while Jonouchi continued to pick at him, and Kaiba wished he had enough sense to call a car to pick him up instead of having to walk all the way back to the office to drive his own back home.

He didn't want to go back to Kaiba Mansion. The old house felt like a crypt, and who knew, maybe Jonouchi would get the genius idea of following Kaiba there, too.

Wouldn't surprise him, at this point.

Jonouchi stood stupefied as he watched Kaiba's retreating form. Sure, he was used to Kaiba blowing him off—he'd always stood on the periphery of their social circle, floating in and out as he saw fit—but it wasn't like Jonouchi was trying to be especially obnoxious. For a moment he just stared, looking around and then back to Kaiba, his right leg bobbing on its heel restlessly.

Impulsively he took off sprinting, catching Kaiba as he neared the exit. Slowing to a jog so as to not alarm the other man, Jonouchi managed to rush ahead and stopped a few feet in front of Kaiba, blocking his path.

"Hey," he said, somewhat winded and fumbling. Now that he was here, he didn't quite know what to do with himself.

"What? Stop getting in my way," Kaiba seethed before maneuvering around Jonouchi's blockade, rolling his eyes as he heard swears coming from behind him.

Once again, Jonouchi found himself following after Kaiba, settling for walking beside him since the other seemed keen on avoiding him. "Fucking hell, Kaiba—you sure know how to make a guy chase after you," he sighed.

Kaiba merely snorted in response.

They walked for a block in silence, before Jonouchi cleared his throat. "Hey. So are you, like, hungry or anything?"

"No, and even if I was, I wouldn't eat with you for company..."

"Tch," Jonouchi glowered at Kaiba and continued, "Rude. You must be fucking starving, since you seem to be in a piss-poor mood. Well, _I'm_ hungry, and I'd prefer not to eat alone. Hell, I'll even treat."

"I don't take handouts, Jonouchi. If I felt like eating, I'd get my own food," grumbled Kaiba as he briefly gazed down at Jonouchi's face before looking up again and sighing. "Besides, can't you find someone else to irritate?"

Rolling his eyes, Jonouchi took out his phone and started playing with it. "I'm gonna ignore that first comment. And nope, why should I when you're conveniently here?" he snickered. Flipping through a few screens, his face alighted with a mischievous smirk. "Don't fight it—it's been decided. You're having lunch with me. And nope, you don't have to like it."

"...What do you think you're doing?"

Kaiba just stood there glaring as Jonouchi started laughing annoyingly, staring at his phone like it was the key to his plan. It made Kaiba want to grab it and smash it against the pavement, but he knew that would only land him in bigger trouble (maybe even blackmailed) and definitely some bad press when people talked about what they'd seen on the street.

He didn't need his Board members finding another thing to bother him with after getting over the Duel...

Jonouchi turned his phone forward, showing Kaiba the screen. "Calling Mokuba. If he's really 'out on business,' then I bet he'd hate to hear how poorly his brother is taking care of himself while he's away...even to the point of losing to the 'second-rate' Duelist," he announced smugly.

If Kaiba could have gotten away with smacking Jonouchi around on the street, he would have. Every thought in his head edged him on into doing just that, but he stopped himself since logic would dictate that that course of action was a bad idea. It would only turn around to bite him in the ass, and while Kaiba's mouth tensed up into a thin, firm line and his eyes narrowed to the point of almost hurting, he reasoned that dealing with Jonouchi's shit was better than Mokuba's disappointment.

"Fine," Kaiba nearly spat as he glared down at Jonouchi, who had a distinctive smirk on his face, "I'll eat with you, but that's it. And I insist on buying my own lunch. You couldn't afford paying for me, anyways."

"Pfft, you act as if I haven't just won prize money from a tournament. I may not be rolling in it like you, but I'm not exactly broke, either," Jonouchi huffed.

"Those are my terms. Take it or leave it."

"Fine," Jonouchi concurred, trying to pacify Kaiba and hoping that the man wouldn't be such a bear after he'd gotten some nourishment in him. Jonouchi eyed his companion up and down—from the looks of it, Kaiba likely hadn't eaten anything good in days. His skin seemed dull, and his normally form-fitting clothes hung off his frame, as though he'd lost some weight. Huh. Probably just being his workaholic self again…

He stared at the shop fronts around them as they ventured further downtown. "So, what do you want to eat?"

"Whatever, I don't really care. As long as it's not junk food."

"I'll eat just about anything," Jonouchi remarked, "So since you seem to be the picky one, you decide."

"You're the one forcing me to eat with you," snapped Kaiba before shaking his head in irritation, "You decide. Or I'm bailing, blackmail or not."

Jonouchi snorted in response, but a grin betrayed his amusement. "Alright, then no complaining. How about curry—you look like you could use a heavy meal," he said, reaching out to pinch and tug at the back of Kaiba's shirt in demonstration.

Quick to react, Kaiba smacked Jonouchi's offending hand away before making a face of slight offense, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? I haven't been feeling well, but I'm not that terrible looking- Just shut up already and go find this stupid restaurant..."

The possibility that Kaiba might look anything but perfect at any second of his public day was unsettling in his brain, the idea taking form before he broke out in a slight panic. His thoughts didn't betray his cool exterior, but in his head, he could feel a mix of emotions rushing through him as his muscles tightened from tension.

Who was Jonouchi to judge him, anyways? He didn't even look fit for outdoors half the time, thanks to his second-hand clothes and lack of a hair cut...

"Relax, princess," Jonouchi chuckled, "not a hair's out of place. You look like you've lost some weight, though. Been skipping meals?"

"My diet is none of your concern. Are we going to eat or just stand here in the heat discussing my physique all day?"

Jonouchi started walking ahead, not bothering to check if Kaiba was following. "As fascinating as that sounds, the restaurant's just around the corner," he drawled.

Ducking underneath the noren, Jonouchi hollered greetings towards the kitchen, offering a slight bow to the older woman by the register. He chose a side table midway from the entrance, dropping into his seat lazily and eyeing Kaiba expectantly.

It was a mom and pop shop, and although the front door was wide open and electric fans blasted in the corners, Kaiba was mildly relieved that Jonouchi hadn't dragged him to some crappy chain restaurant. He entered slowly, nodding slightly to the woman while tugging absently at his tie. He slipped silently into the seat across from Jonouchi, electing to stare at the several portraits and photos adorning the walls rather than address his companion.

He felt distinctly out of place. Kaiba didn't really like dining out, when he could help it. When he did eat, it was usually in small places during strange hours of the day so he wouldn't be spotted and could eat alone in peace, or else he waited until he was at home. Kaiba Mansion had lots of house staff, including one executive chef, and Kaiba preferred relying on one person who knew his particular tastes to prepare his food.

But he wasn't really given the option now, since Jonouchi wanted to rat him out to Mokuba, who would surely use Kaiba's poor health to his advantage. Not out of animosity, but to wear Kaiba out into getting his way, more than likely.

Or guilt-trip him for not taking better care of himself...

Whichever it was, Kaiba didn't want to deal with it. He'd eventually need to really sleep, and looking quickly over a handmade menu, he made his selection to have a bowl of pork belly curry and rice, not caring if the food wasn't quite up to his station in class.

He hadn't eaten anything like that since he was a child. His mother used to make him chicken katsu whenever he begged for it, and now it just seemed so alien to eat something so simple and rather rustic.

No wonder Jonouchi chose it.

The food arrived quickly, along with water, hot tea, and a small dish of pickled vegetables. Jonouchi dug into his beef curry omelet enthusiastically, not waiting for Kaiba to start. Staring at the food apathetically, Kaiba just picked at his with chopsticks before finally trying a bite.

It was good, but he just didn't feel the urgency to eat.

Jonouchi had cleared through half of his meal before he realized that Kaiba had barely touched his food. Setting his spoon down, he leaned back in his chair and drew shapes on the condensation collecting on his water glass.

"What's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?"

"It's fine."

"So then what's eating you?" Jonouchi asked, stuffing a spoonful of curry into his mouth thoughtfully.

"Nothing. I'd have an easier time eating this if you'd stop studying me," said Kaiba as he waved his hand dramatically, "I don't usually eat this much food in one meal, anyways. I'm going to get sick from this."

"You're going to get sick from _not eating_," Jonouchi emphasized, waving his spoon around. "I bet the breeze from one of these fans could knock you over if you got too close."

Kaiba glared at that. He might have dropped a few pounds, including muscle weight, from not being as active as before, but he wasn't skin and bones. He could still function, even if he didn't feel as well as he had in the past.

"First of all, that's not true," argued Kaiba as he tried another bite of food, "and second of all, I don't see why you'd even care if that was. You don't like me. Don't pretend to, when we both know you don't."

Scowling, Jonouchi picked up his chopsticks and stabbed at a pickle. "If memory serves me right, _I_ tried to befriend _you_ in the very beginning, but you decided you were too holier than thou for friendship with us peasants."

"So what? Then you should know better than to keep trying."

Waving a finger back and forth, Jonouchi announced, "One good deed a day. I suppose you've been my project of sorts," he grinned.

Kaiba scowled in response. He had no idea what to say to that, so he just shut his mouth with food, looking anywhere but at Jonouchi's irritating smug smile. No matter what, he always seemed to look like he was so satisfied with himself, and it made Kaiba's insides boil as his patience wore away with each passing moment.

Even if he wasn't looking at Jonouchi anymore, he was still well-aware of his presence. There was a particular way he always seemed to be tapping his foot on the ground, like he couldn't keep still for a minute, and his breath seemed to catch whenever a new thought formed in his head. Kaiba was attuned to everything around him, down to scents, and Jonouchi had a particular smell just like everyone else, only stronger now thanks to the heat.

In large crowds, it was easy ignoring one person for another and allowing it all to just dull into a single mass, but being stuck with Jonouchi alone was disquieting and more of an annoyance than if Kaiba had been stuck with a group of strangers.

Jonouchi observed Kaiba actively try to ignore him before breaking into full-out laughter. "Man, you're so _serious_! Lighten up a little! Hell, _liven_ up! You always act like there's a funeral going on," he sighed, trying to quell the giggles that kept bubbling up as Kaiba's face grew darker.

"Shut it."

"Well, someone's gotta carry the conversation, since you're getting all shy on me," Jonouchi remarked, scraping the last bits of his meal off his plate. "I wouldn't have to talk so much if you'd participate. I may not look it, but I'm a great listener."

"What if I have nothing to say to you? Did you ever think of that? I don't feel like talking."

To make his sentiments clear, Kaiba quickly shoved more food into his mouth before chewing aggressively.

"Don't choke," Jonouchi muttered as he fidgeted with the rim of his teacup. He brought it to his lips and blew, staring at Kaiba over its edge. "You're gonna snap one day. I'm gonna read about some rampage at Kaiba Corp, and then you'll be crying, 'Oh, why didn't I listen to Jonouchi?'" he mocked.

Kaiba just glanced blankly at Jonouchi in response. They both knew he'd already snapped once—and _that_ had been enough—in his life. Unfortunately for Jonouchi, he'd gotten caught up in that little adventure, and preferring not to recall it, Kaiba just ate silently before sipping on his tea angrily.

All he could think about was paying the check and finally taking off. Maybe try to get some sleep, if he was lucky. The mansion had central air, and it would be easier to sleep while cool and heavy from food, and Kaiba wasn't above taking a few sleep aids.

It was the only comforting thought he had as Jonouchi continued yammering on.

Jonouchi stopped abruptly, closing his eyes and exhaling sharply through his nose. "I guess I shouldn't have bothered. You haven't changed at all."

"I could have told you that a long time ago. What exactly were you expecting? That we'd be pals after what happened during our last Duel?" Kaiba laughed darkly before rising up from his seat, dropping yen on the table before giving Jonouchi one last disapproving look, briefcase in hand.

"We're not friends. Try to remember that next time you decide to harass me in public."

And then he strolled out of there, leaving a disgruntled Jonouchi behind.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a few days after bumping into Jonouchi that Kaiba saw him again, from far away this time. He was careful not to be spotted, keeping a wide berth as he watched Jonouchi with concentrated interest. Instead of wearing his usual black get-up, Kaiba wore a plain red shirt with jeans and large sunglasses, carrying a laptop bag with a strap around his shoulder instead of the shiny briefcase he usually trudged around with.

He didn't even know why he came, but something from their last meeting just stuck with him. Kaiba wondered if Jonouchi's interest in him was genuine or something else, and the only way to figure that out would be further observation.

Tailing Jonouchi around the mall wasn't really that difficult, anyways. He seemed to frequent the same places: the mall near his bus stop, certain card game stores and hobby shops, the convenience store near his apartment, and Burger World. Sometimes he'd waste money at an arcade near Domino High School, but Kaiba refused to go somewhere where all the geek boys would recognize him.

Sitting in the food court eating chicken teriyaki and looking over his smartphone, Kaiba listened as Jonouchi spoke enthusiastically across from Kujaku Mai. They were leaning into each other, looking rather close...a bit too close, for Kaiba's liking. They talked loud and easily, enough that Kaiba could even make out their conversation from so far away.

"-Yeah, it wasn't enough money to pay off all the creditors, but I got some of it paid off. Three hundred and fifty thousand yen doesn't go as far as you'd think," remarked Jonouchi with a sigh, "At least not with my dad's spending habits."

"Is he still living with you?" asked Mai as she sipped on some drink Kaiba couldn't make out. Looked like a yuppie coffee drink that was way overpriced. "I don't understand why you take on his financial issues."

"I'm his son. If I don't, who else will?"

"Yes, exactly!"

Mai sighed loudly before running a hand through her hair. "You're just a kid. He's a grown-ass man; he should be solving his own debt problems, not his twenty-one-year-old son! It's not right for him to dump his shortcomings on your shoulders."

"It's really not that big of a deal, Mai. I got it under control."

From the look Mai was giving, it didn't seem like she believed him. Kaiba couldn't help but snort. Apparently Jonouchi wasn't the deadbeat Kaiba thought he was, at least like in the past. If Jonouchi was using most of his winnings to take care of his father, then how the hell was he caring for himself?

"Besides, I got that assistant mechanic job near my place, and it's been great. I'm getting a steady paycheck and can even afford to buy booster packs sometimes, when I'm careful. I got a bank account now, so my dad hasn't been stealing my cash when he's drunk anymore."

Mai just facepalmed at that.

"You should kick him out."

"Nah, can't do that to my old man. He's my father. I've got to take care of him. You know how it is."

Eventually Jonouchi changed the subject, and Kaiba's attention waned as he began answering emails on his phone. He could still hear Jonouchi's characteristic voice over the general roar of the food court, his accent and tone very particular to Kaiba's ears while Mai broke in between with high-pitched laughs and loud chattering of her own.

Kaiba wondered for a second if they were on a date. Hadn't they had some sort of thing during his tournament? Having not paid attention that much back then, Kaiba couldn't exactly recall, but he noticed how they talked and looked at each other. It seemed rather..._intimate._

"You know, I saw Kaiba just last week," started Jonouchi. The mention of his name broke Kaiba from his musings as he looked up from his phone and began to frown. "He was at the tournament I was competing in. We kinda had lunch together?"

"Kinda?"

"Yeah," sighed Jonouchi as he picked at his yakisoba, "I mean, I had to kinda strong-arm him to hang out with me. He's such an asshole sometimes, I don't get it. You'd think I killed his dog or something."

"I don't see why you try," Mai said, rolling her eyes in a huff, "Some people are just born miserable. You can't change them."

"I don't think Kaiba was born miserable. He was made that way. I bet he needs help."

"Good luck with that, Jonouchi. You have more compassion for broken men than I do."

Face twisting up into a scowl, Kaiba felt offended by the words, even if Mai was partially right. Sure, he had his problems. Everyone did. Kaiba just had more than the average human being, but he also had a rather unfortunate upbringing and past to go along with it—but he never saw himself as _broken_. Was he not a wildly successful business man? What a ridiculous thing to say.

Pushing his food away, Jonouchi slouched in his seat, threading his fingers together and resting them on his stomach. He looked at the stream of shoppers passing by, and Kaiba had to turn his head sharply to avoid Jonouchi's gaze.

"I dunno if I'd say he's broken, exactly… I mean, he still functions. Better than most people, at least."

"Yeah, to the point of being a robot," said Mai dramatically, "And when he's not being completely cold to the world, he's a giant psychopath. Remember when he almost let you drown? I don't know, Jonouchi—some people can't be saved. I mean, does he even want to change?

"I just feel bad for his little brother..."

Jonouchi fixed Mai with an easy smile. "Nah, are you kidding? Mokuba's his pride and joy—the one person he treats like, well, a _person_," he chuckled. "And yeah, the key thing was messed up, but he could have just let me drown, so at least he did _something_. It's not like we were bosom buddies that he'd get his clothes all wet for. With that get-up, he probably would've drowned himself," Jonouchi concluded, breaking into a short laugh.

"I still don't get it," continued Mai, "I know Yugi likes to take chances with people, but come on. I just don't want you getting hurt by him or disappointed if he doesn't change his mind about having _friends_..."

Kaiba scoffed, rolling his eyes under his shades. What did Mai know about having friends? She was almost in her thirties and had no buddies her own age to hang around with. As far as Kaiba was aware, she was a serial dater and only hung around Jonouchi and Yugi sporadically, which made her just as much of a loner as he was.

Mai was a giant hypocrite.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Mai. Everyone." Jonouchi's voice and eyes were alight with conviction before they cooled back to normal. "I'll be fine. And besides, you and I didn't start off exactly on the right note. Hell, me and Yug' didn't either! I'm not too worried."

"Do you really think he'd change? Or that he even wants to change?" asked Mai. She sighed before sipping more of her drink, "Besides, he's boring. Besides his dueling, what else does he have going for him?"

"He's a freaking genius," Jonouchi answered. "I'm sure with all the shit he knows, there's bound to be something fascinating about him that he's been keeping a secret. Just imagine being able to pick his brain," he wondered with amazement, "He's probably got the secret to the universe figured out or some shit."

Mai laughed at that. "Don't you think you're giving him a bit too much credit? Besides, he owns a kid's gaming company. You'd think if he knew the secrets of the universe, he'd do more with it than just make toys."

"When has Kaiba ever been out to save the world?" Jonouchi snorted. "Who knows what goes on in that mind of his—and I don't think I want to find out. I'd just want him to like me for once and stop looking at me like shit's been shoved up his nostrils or something...

"Besides, Mokuba's not around, and he hasn't been looking that good. I think he's dropped some weight. Someone needs to check up on him. Might as well be me, since Yugi's no longer around."

"He's not your problem," sniffed Mai.

Jonouchi hooked his foot around an empty chair leg and started jiggling it around. "You know me—I just can't seem to leave people alone. He may not like it, but—I dunno, I'd feel kind of guilty if I didn't do anything."

Kaiba nearly dropped his phone. What, did the loser _pity _him now? No fucking thanks.

Just great. From the sound of it, the idiot would be smothering him soon with his overbearing presence. Jonouchi knew where he lived, where he worked...no place would be sacred. Kaiba would have to step up security if he was going to have any peace of mind… Or just pack his schedule solid enough where there wouldn't be any openings.

A panic began to creep over him, and Kaiba started to feel trapped.

But if he did that in his condition now, Kaiba knew he'd eventually break. His health wasn't getting any better, and with the lack of sleep, it was now taking a sharp toll on his energy levels. There was only so much he could handle.

"I hope you don't decide to spend more time with him than me, Jonouchi, or people might think something's going on between you two," joked Mai. "You know how girls get when they see two attractive men together."

Jonouchi nearly fell out of his seat. "Okay, _gross_. You girls are sick. And they call us guys the pervs…" he grouched. "Why can't you just let bros be bros?"

"I don't think Kaiba's ever going to be your 'bro,' Jonouchi," snickered Mai.

Rolling his eyes, Kaiba felt himself losing interest in their conversation quickly now that Jonouchi was squirming in his seat. Men usually didn't respond well to those kind of little "jokes," and while it didn't mean anything to Kaiba, apparently it was enough to get Jonouchi all out of whack as he continued making faces to prove his heterosexuality or whatever. Did males have to be so stupid like that all the time?

"Hey, I'm an optimist," Jonouchi declared, a cocky grin tugging at his mouth, "I bet he's actually a pretty cool guy, once you get past all the snobbery."

"What makes you so sure? He called you a deadbeat for months, and now he acts like you don't even exist... Eh. I don't even know why we're talking about Kaiba. Of all people to waste breath over, isn't there anything else more interesting going on in your life?" asked Mai as she leaned forward and smiled rather wickedly. "Any girls you've met recently I should know about?"

A blush flared across Jonouchi's cheeks. "Oh, great. You just _had _to bring up the sorry state of my love life," he grimaced, "Or should I say, complete lack of one."

He leaned forward. "How's this—there's this really hot babe I'm meeting _right now_…" he said, winking rather obviously and flashing a cheesy grin.

"Oh come on, silly, you know I don't count."

At this point, Kaiba decided to mentally block out the rest of their conversation as he focused on finishing his lunch. Jonouchi was right about one thing. He was dropping weight, and Kaiba couldn't blame it on the summer heat alone. His clothes were starting to look baggy, and his muscle tone was disappearing at an alarming rate. If he didn't bulk up soon, he knew his Board would begin pestering him over his faltering appearance.

Besides that, Kaiba didn't like looking less than perfect. He had been a lanky teenager, but after high school, he'd finally filled out into himself and started feeling less like a beanpole whenever he looked in the mirror. Having a man's body was something he prided himself in, especially since he knew he looked better than most people, and watching that suffer from lack of discipline was frustrating.

It wouldn't help his sex life, either, if he looked like a skeleton to anyone he tried picking up.

Giving out a frustrated sigh, Kaiba let his fingers sink into his bangs before grumbling to himself. Thankfully he wasn't loud enough for Jonouchi or Mai to hear (he frankly had no idea what he'd say if they had noticed him) and he could suffer his image crisis alone.

Wasn't like he'd meet anyone of interest anytime soon, anyways. Skinny little business types who all looked like cookie-cutter copies of each other carried very little appeal for Kaiba. The majority of his short-term hook ups had occurred overseas, incidentally...

"-After that last chick I was seeing senior year, I guess I just got distracted with other things. I'm not interested in dating right now. Too much stuff to take care of, like my dad's debts, my new job, dueling-"

"-And apparently Kaiba's poor life choices."

"Yeah, and that," Jonouchi laughed, "I'm not really missing out on much, so don't worry. Girls can wait."

Mai scoffed, slightly offended, "You're young. Now's the time to go out and have fun."

Jonouchi sighed. "Fun costs money. Hell, having a girl would only increase my bills! Dates are expensive shit."

Leaning forward, Mai quirked an eyebrow, a smirk twitching at the corner of her mouth. "Oh, so you can't afford a girl, yet you dump so much money into booster packs…"

"Hey! That's an investment! I'd like to go pro one day," Jonouchi sniffed.

His lunch date erupted into a fit of laughter. "And dating is an investment, too—_for a wife_," she gasped between breaths.

Jonouchi just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, that's a long way down the road. Tournament dates, on the other hand, will not wait. Gotta keep my deck fresh, y'know?" He flipped out his phone and started typing furiously, "Speaking of which, have you seen the new ban list? It was like a third of my deck! So now I gotta find some good replacements. You mind if I make a call?"

Mai shook her head, "Go ahead. I need to freshen up in the ladies' room, anyway."

Nodding as she got up, Jonouchi punched in what was clearly a familiar number. "Hey, Jii-san, that new shipment come in yet? Oh yeah? Awesome, I'll be by tomorrow! Yeah, gotta head to work soon. Any news from Yug'? Uh huh. That's good to hear. Okay, thanks—see you then!"

New ban list? Kaiba didn't think it would be coming out so soon. Usually they held off until the end of the year, so competitors wouldn't have to restock their decks in the middle of the competing season. Sounded like Jonouchi was out of luck, but that meant Kaiba would need to check up on his deck, too.

How irritating. If he wasn't so rich, Kaiba would have complained about the frequent purchases he had to make on new booster sets. It was easier for professional players with sponsors, but for someone like Jonouchi who was supporting his own "habit," so to speak, it probably took a heavy toll on his finances.

The thought made Kaiba think... Kaiba Corporation offered sponsorships to seven-star players with national-level experience and paid out some five hundred thousand yen per month to cover gaming, competition fees, and room and board costs. There weren't a lot of people in the professional bracket who could even qualify for such a gig, because their stats weren't sponsorship-worthy, and most of the players came off as money hunters.

Jonouchi, however. Kaiba snorted. The kid would be marketable. Kaiba could sell the shit out of him, even if Jonouchi had a rather crass personality and didn't always act quite right. People would like him if he was presented to them in the right way. Besides, his rating skyrocketed after Battle City, and Jonouchi was frequently improving, having knocked out several professional players already...

It was a thought.

By the time Mai returned, Jonouchi had cleared their table and was leaning against it, idly playing with his phone. "Hey," he smiled, "I hate to cut out, but I really should be heading to the shop right now. Honda just texted—he's not feeling so well, so now I'm the only one on shift tonight."

"It's fine," she said, hooking an arm around Jonouchi's elbow. "I've got a long list of errands to take care of, anyway. Walk me to my car?"

"Sure, could you drop me by the bus stop, then?"

"Nonsense, I can just drop you off directly," Mai replied as they began to walk off.

"Well, it's not exactly in the greatest area of town…" Jonouchi began hesitantly, rubbing at his neck.

Kaiba watched as they disappeared into the crowd, a small frown on his face. Jonouchi would never be a professional Duelist if his time kept being divided by his job. Rationally, Kaiba knew it was necessary—not everyone had the luxury of possessing a sizable bank account, and Kaiba was rather impressed that Jonouchi had been able to make it as far as he had in the Duel Monsters circuit, given his mountain of responsibilities. But if a person was going to pursue something seriously, they should do it _right_. Throw oneself in with reckless abandon. _That's_ what it meant to be a Duelist.

Scowling, Kaiba wondered why he cared so much.

He told himself it was because Jonouchi had beaten him. Disregarding the circumstances, a loss was still a loss, which was unacceptable. And even more insulting, Kaiba had lost to someone who only played in his spare time.

His pride just wouldn't allow it.

But still, Jonouchi had a lot of potential. Would it be rational to ignore that because of a personal vendetta? Helping the idiot get a career going through a sponsorship would be a good investment Kaiba could later bank on, if Jonouchi actually was able to dedicate himself to the job. Sure, he didn't like the guy, but Kaiba disliked most of the people in his office, anyways. And he still employed them and even acted cordial with them, regardless of his personal feelings.

His pride, however...

Kaiba had done plenty of unpleasant things out of necessity in the past. Starting a business relationship with the idiot wasn't a very attractive idea, but Kaiba had suffered worse things. The main problem would probably be actually _getting _Jonouchi to accept the proposal.

He couldn't lie and say running Jonouchi's entire dueling career wouldn't feel a little satisfying...

A smirk slowly emerged on Kaiba's face, and as he watched the man in question begin to disappear with the crowd, he formed a plan.


	5. Chapter 5

Right after work, Kaiba had his driver drop him off right in front of the Kame Game Shop, walking in boldly with his briefcase in hand. Sugoroku looked immediately aggravated by Kaiba's presence, and understandably so. With their bad history, Kaiba didn't think the old man would want him hanging around looking at his new stock, but business was business. Surprisingly, the older Mutou did not kick him out.

But he didn't greet Kaiba, either.

Kaiba felt rather silly being there, looking at the displays of rare cards and booster packs as the old man watched him from behind the register. During work, Kaiba had looked at the ban list. Only four of his cards had been affected, and nothing that he really relied on, anyways. Sometimes it was hard being flexible, but losing a few trap and magic cards wasn't a big deal, since they could be easily replaced.

It just felt silly being inside such a dingy little shop. Usually Kaiba had his sources for cards. He had suppliers and collectors, as well as private dealers. Going into actual stores and looking around was completely unnecessary, but...

Turning to glance at the door, Kaiba scowled. Jonouchi hadn't shown up yet, but it was unlikely that he had done so earlier, either. It was a weekday, and if the loser was working full-time, he would be arriving fairly soon, probably covered in grease from his job.

He'd stink, too. Kaiba hoped Jonouchi wouldn't try getting too close to him, or god forbid, force him into eating somewhere with him again. Not with him smelling like gasoline...

Apparently, Yugi's grandfather found his dawdling unsettling, and he approached Kaiba with suspicion. "...Anything I can help you find?"

Kaiba turned to him, his expression apathetic. "Just looking," he replied tersely.

Sugoroku narrowed his eyes, but he didn't move away. The front door blew open, drawing both of their attentions. The tiny bell clanked jerkily against the glass window, the orange light of sunset flooding the shop.

"Sorry I'm late, Jii-san, work was-" Jonouchi's mouth snapped shut at the sight of the two men. "Um, am I...interrupting something?" He stood in the doorway, his body a dark relief against the pouring light. Kaiba could make out black smudges across Jonouchi's cheeks and knuckles.

Sugoroku recovered first. "Ah, no, Jonouchi-kun. Come in, come in, Kaiba was just looking around."

Jonouchi dumped his messenger bag by the door, quirking an eyebrow at Kaiba but not commenting. He instead turned to Sugoroku, brushing past the other customer to lean against the display case. "So, what d'ya got for me?" he grinned, eyes alight like a child's.

"Oh, I think you'll find the new stuff pretty interesting." The elder Mutou turned to grab some boxes from the top shelf behind him. Jonouchi made his way behind the counter to help, but Sugoroku swatted his hands away. "Not before you clean yourself up! Honestly, Jonouchi-kun, did you even look in a mirror before you rushed over here?" Sugoroku chided, setting the boxes on the countertop and tossing a rag at Jonouchi, who caught it and stuck his tongue out in reply.

"Who am I trying to impress?" Jonouchi said, rubbing his hands against the cloth.

Sugoroku gave him a withering look but made no further comments, finally releasing the boxes for Jonouchi to inspect once his hands were cleared.

Kaiba suppressed an urge to snort. He assessed Jonouchi out of the corner of his eye, wary of drawing too much attention. Jonouchi was dressed in his usual baggy jeans, which were low-slung and thinning around the knees. A plain white T-shirt clung to his torso, stained by grease and sweat, a smattering of tiny holes exposing a tanned shoulder blade. Boots replaced his usual sneakers. His hair stuck up a little around his neck.

Jonouchi was unsightly, but there was a sort of proletariat appeal to his appearance. Kaiba couldn't deny that Jonouchi looked manly and rough in a kind of way that most men tried—and failed—to pull off. With his blond hair and messy looks, Jonouchi just worked it without even trying, and that irritated Kaiba. Jonouchi wasn't even aiming to get his attention, yet he had it.

"What are you looking at?"

Breaking out of his inner thoughts, Kaiba just scowled at Jonouchi before turning his back. He didn't need to answer any prodding Jonouchi might have, and he was there to get cards. Well, that was more of a bonus to his main plan, but he didn't need to get caught checking Jonouchi out in Yugi's game store. That was just...there were no words for it.

Honestly, Kaiba wasn't sure even where to start. Distracted and tired to boot, he was barely paying attention to the text on the cards as he glanced over the various displays. He could feel Sugoroku's gaze on his back, and there was slight tension in the room that he didn't appreciate despite having caused it with his presence. Sure, he had almost killed the old man, but that was years ago. How long was he going to carry that grudge before he finally let it go?

Snorting, Kaiba picked up one card and looked at it long and hard. It was an effective trap card, with a continuous effect that required no life points to activate. The best kind of weapons to use, in Kaiba's opinion. Crush Card Virus had been made illegal, and Kaiba had always been looking for something just as effective.

"Do you want to take a look at these? They're all new," Jonouchi said, gesturing to the boxes in front of him. It took a second for Kaiba to register that Jonouchi was addressing him, turning towards him with a blank stare.

When Kaiba remained silent, Jonouchi ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "Or not. Forget I said anything." Returning to the cards, Jonouchi started to separate out little stacks from his selections. He became so engrossed in his work that it came as a shock when Kaiba stood next to him some minutes later, plucking a card out of his hand.

"This one's worthless," Kaiba declared, tossing it aside.

"Hey!" Jonouchi exclaimed, scrambling to catch the card as it teetered off the edge of the counter. "Be careful with these, will ya?" The motion created a small gust of air, blowing Kaiba's bangs into his eyes.

"Also, you smell like a garage," Kaiba deadpanned, brushing his bangs out of his face.

Jonouchi scowled at him, replacing the card to safety. "_Duh_, seeing as I work in one. Not everyone gets to prance around in a cushy office all day." He eyed Kaiba critically before nudging him in the side with an elbow. "If it bothers you so much, you don't have to stand so close."

Kaiba responded by bumping him aside with his hip. "You're hogging the cards." He flicked through the stacks carefully, ignoring Jonouchi's surprised yelp and subsequent grumbling. There wasn't really all that much to look at, anyways. Although the Kame Shop wasn't bad, it just didn't have the kind of stock Kaiba was accustomed to looking at. Too many amateurs frequented the store, and while Sugoroku kept a few rare cards, he wasn't exclusive enough. There were too many filler cards that didn't serve any real purpose.

"What exactly are you looking for?" Kaiba asked after becoming annoyed by Jonouchi's frantic card flipping. It didn't appear that he even knew what he was trying to find. "You're giving me a headache."

Jonouchi continued his inspection of the cards, plucking a few out as he made his way through the boxes. "Just picking some interesting ones right now. A bunch of my trap and gamble cards got banned, so I need to figure out a new deck strategy."

"You'd get much further using a dealer instead of looking through boxes of useless cards... Just my professional advice."

Jonouchi snorted, his eyes quickly cutting over to Kaiba before turning back to his work. "Dealers cost more. _Way_ more. I'll be able to figure something out from these."

Kaiba rolled his eyes and scoffed. Becoming frustrated, he snatched the cards out of Jonouchi's hands, putting them far out of his grasp before pulling a card out of his wallet and flinging it on the counter.

"Here's my dealer's number. Maybe if you won more tournaments, you could afford his services. Haven't you ever thought about getting a better sponsorship?"

Jonouchi blinked like the thought had never crossed his mind. Or maybe he was just taken aback by Kaiba's rather forward moves.

"A good Duelist doesn't need to buy his own cards, you know."

Jonouchi slid the business card over, giving it a cursory glance. His face squinched. "Who _wouldn't_ want a big sponsorship?" he pouted. "Unfortunately, entrance fees are pretty high, so I can't really get my name out there. So it's not like I've got sponsors banging down my door."

"Interesting... You know Kaiba Corporation is looking for someone who's at least a seven-star rated Duelist to sponsor, right?"

Jonouchi's eyes widened fractionally, his mouth gaping. Kaiba had to fight the smirk that was tugging at his lips.

"Um. What exactly are you saying, Kaiba?"

"I'm just saying it's a great opportunity for someone out there," replied Kaiba smoothly before shrugging his shoulders, "Too bad you're only a six-star. You'd need someone on the inside to make that little disqualification go away...

"The contract pays five hundred thousand yen a month, too. It's a pretty sweet deal, so I'm told."

"Why are you even bringing this up?" Jonouchi sighed, his face falling. "You made it pretty clear last time that you didn't particularly enjoy my company, so why do you even care about my pathetic dueling career."

"I don't care," Kaiba replied bluntly, "but business is business, and I can work with people I don't particularly like. You have talent, but you lack the discipline and finances to get very far in your career... I thought you might be interested in hearing your possible options. After all," said Kaiba as he finally selected a card he wanted for himself with a slight grin, "you only need one more regional championship win to become a seven-star, according to your stats."

Jonouchi slid the dealer's business card back over to Kaiba. "Thanks, but the next regional's not for a couple of weeks, and I don't suppose you'd be willing to look the other way for me," Jonouchi said, adding underneath his breath, "even if I did just win against a certain eight-star player…"

"It was an unrated match."

"Unrated or not, a win's still a win," Jonouchi hissed, careful not to attract Sugoroku's attention. "Just because it didn't end in your favor doesn't mean it counts for nothing."

"You wouldn't have beaten me in a match if I hadn't been sick, so why should it count for anything?" snarked Kaiba as he rolled his eyes and moved onto the next display counter, "You got lucky. That's all."

Jonouchi snatched back the box Kaiba had been looking through, putting its top back on with a little more force than necessary. "You're unbelievable, but I shouldn't be surprised. You always did play by a different set of rules than the rest of us," he said bitterly, stacking the boxes.

Kaiba didn't react to the comment, just continuing on his way without missing a beat as Jonouchi seethed in place. When he did eventually turn to look at Jonouchi from the corner of his eye, his mouth only slightly raised as if catching himself about to smile, although not enough to really count.

"You're getting grease on the merchandise."

Jumping back a step from the counter, Jonouchi quickly eyed his clothes before turning a scowl onto Kaiba, "What do you care? Are you even here to buy anything or just torture me?" He carefully collected his cards, tapping them in order. "Hey, Jii-san, I'm done over here," he yelled toward Sugoroku.

Ignoring Kaiba, he walked toward the register, drawing a handful of bills from his wallet. "Sorry if I ruined anything," he told the old man sheepishly, "Just let me know, and I'll pay you back?"

Sugoroku observed Kaiba, still lingering by the display case. "Don't worry about it, Jonouchi-kun."

Frowning, Kaiba looked away as Jonouchi made his purchase. He wasn't sure if Jonouchi had taken the bait. Was he interested in the sponsorship or too angry to even consider it? The idiot was hot-headed enough to let a good opportunity go out of pride or spite, and Kaiba knew that would make things more difficult.

Besides, he wasn't going to just give him that much money without Jonouchi proving that he was a worthy investment. Kaiba didn't take anyone on as a charity case when it came to business dealings, and glancing back at Jonouchi briefly, he wondered if Jonouchi had what it took to win still?

Sure, Jonouchi had beaten him in a back alley Duel, but that was playing against Kaiba at his weakest. He still felt like shit, unable to sleep and eating out of habit rather than desire. His clothes were getting too loose, and Kaiba knew he also looked like crap, but until Mokuba came back home, he'd be unable to relax.

Could Jonouchi take him on at his full strength? That was yet to be proven. It would be an interesting turn of events, if it did happen...

"Thanks again!" Jonouchi hollered over his shoulder as he marched back to the front of the store. He didn't spare a glance at Kaiba as he walked by, bending to retrieve his messenger bag and throwing it across his chest. He paused in the doorway, a thumbnail scratching against the bag's strap. "Sponsorship or not, I'm still a Duelist. Guess I'll see you around," he said quietly.

"Hmpf. You can count on it," replied Kaiba under his breath. He waited for Jonouchi to leave before turning his attention to Sugoroku, who was almost glaring at him but not quite. He looked caught between being polite because Kaiba was a potential customer and mad because he was dawdling in his store. Finally Kaiba just snatched a few promising cards and a booster pack, buying them to keep the peace before marching out of the shop with his purchases.

By the time he'd stepped back outside, the sun was beginning to set behind the skyscrapers of Domino City, and Jonouchi was nowhere in sight.

"How unfortunate."

He didn't need the stupid cards he'd wasted money on. Now he wasn't quite sure what to do with them. Huffing, Kaiba took out his phone and called for his driver. There was no point in hanging around Yugi's place any longer.


End file.
